The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Sacramento For 2022


We used data and science to identify the neighborhoods in Sacramento that are the real pits.

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Sacramento's neighborhoods conjure up too many stereotypes to count. You've got hipster areas, preppy places, neighborhoods where college kids thrive, and of course, ghettos.

It seems as if there's a neighborhood for everyone in Sacramento.

And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Sacramento. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

So the question arises, which Sacramento neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Sacramento hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Sacramento area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although River Park ranks way above the rest.

We examined 110 of Sacramento's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Sacramento's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Sacramento for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Village 5 looks to be the worst neighborhood in Sacramento.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Sacramento that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.

Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from worst to best. Looking for places to avoid outside of the city? You can also check out the worst suburbs of Sacramento.

For more California reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Sacramento

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Sacramento For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 504
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $81,250 (7th worst)
Median Income: $40,180 (39th worst)
More on Village 5:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 243
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $66,650 (4th worst)
Median Income: $37,078 (25th worst)
More on Parker Homes:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 992
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $154,500 (40th worst)
Median Income: $19,558 (worst)
More on Ben Ali:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 205
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $35,500 (worst)
Median Income: $40,147 (38th worst)
More on Village Green:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,025
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $114,700 (12th worst)
Median Income: $22,946 (3rd worst)
More on Wills Acres:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,865
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $72,080 (5th worst)
Median Income: $21,441 (2nd worst)
More on Old North Sacramento:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,864
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $93,583 (9th worst)
Median Income: $31,452 (12th worst)
More on South Hagginwood:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,314
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $131,067 (18th worst)
Median Income: $30,566 (9th worst)
More on Cannon Industrial Park:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,078
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $115,867 (13th worst)
Median Income: $38,578 (32nd worst)
More on Gardenland:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 325
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $155,800 (42nd worst)
Median Income: $33,750 (16th worst)
More on Norwood Tech:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Sacramento neighborhoods in 2022

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what places have the least amount of those things. We threw the following criteria into this analysis in order to get the best, most complete results possible. We used this set of criteria for each neighborhood in Sacramento:

  • High unemployment (Less jobs)
  • Low median income (Less pay)
  • Low population density (No things to do)
  • Low home values (No one's willing to pay to live here)
  • High crime (Estimated)

Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Sacramento, California for each of these criteria from worst to best.

Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criteria into a "Worst Score".

The neighborhood with the lowest "Worst Score" ranks as the worst neighborhood of Sacramento.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Sacramento to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 110 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. Hold on to your pants.

Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Sacramento

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Sacramento with Village 5 landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Sacramento aren't all bad. River Park takes the cake as the best place to live in Sacramento.

We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.

For more California reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Sacramento For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Village 5 504 $81,250 $40,180
2 Parker Homes 243 $66,650 $37,078
3 Ben Ali 992 $154,500 $19,558
4 Village Green 205 $35,500 $40,147
5 Wills Acres 1,025 $114,700 $22,946
6 Old North Sacramento 3,865 $72,080 $21,441
7 South Hagginwood 4,864 $93,583 $31,452
8 Cannon Industrial Park 1,314 $131,067 $30,566
9 Gardenland 3,078 $115,867 $38,578
10 Norwood Tech 325 $155,800 $33,750
11 Noralto 3,224 $75,550 $36,905
12 Packard Bell 157 $47,900 $38,229
13 Florin Fruitridge Industrial Park 176 $47,900 $38,229
14 Oak Knoll 688 $155,800 $33,750
15 South Oak Park 4,202 $116,725 $28,063
16 Natomas Crossing 2,897 $136,100 $37,451
17 Johnson Heights 668 $155,800 $33,750
18 Fruitridge Manor 5,258 $113,500 $32,624
19 Airport 2,740 $142,900 $43,839
20 Swanston Estates 1,857 $153,600 $42,650
21 South City Farms 905 $151,300 $30,595
22 East Del Paso Heights 4,183 $128,575 $35,487
23 Woodlake 1,201 $146,050 $53,023
24 American River Parkway 1,938 $91,120 $48,352
25 Hagginwood 6,024 $150,440 $35,046
26 River Gardens 1,602 $129,667 $53,245
27 North City Farms 4,216 $180,217 $39,123
28 North Pointe 477 $169,200 $49,375
29 Strawberry Manor 2,662 $131,700 $30,982
30 Arden Fair 569 $164,400 $59,423
31 Rp Sports Complex 3,130 $142,900 $66,831
32 Del Paso Heights 4,644 $133,500 $25,900
33 Csus 2,029 $182,150 $34,534
34 Erikson Industrial Park 644 $241,350 $50,356
35 West Del Paso Heights 2,105 $139,750 $37,989
36 Southside Park 1,695 $334,580 $42,225
37 Richmond Grove 1,399 $401,800 $31,624
38 Avondale 4,394 $189,700 $29,334
39 Central Oak Park 5,387 $154,117 $29,144
40 Raley Industrial Park 2,500 $146,333 $48,484
41 Upper Land Park 3,917 $271,475 $43,300
42 Parkway 18,817 $138,067 $40,600
43 Golf Course Terrace 3,271 $184,800 $59,079
44 Del Paso Park 1,232 $259,400 $56,339
45 Pell-Main Industrial Park 1,500 $118,800 $42,531
46 North Oak Park 4,037 $231,729 $37,825
47 Woodbine 3,098 $166,000 $28,352
48 Robla 6,966 $181,533 $53,471
49 Lawrence Park 1,858 $135,133 $39,603
50 Glen Elder 2,867 $150,400 $34,232
51 Colonial Heights 1,544 $229,533 $51,909
52 Midtown 6,443 $288,880 $36,227
53 Meadowview 26,703 $180,454 $40,428
54 Campus Commons 2,526 $175,775 $47,068
55 Richardson Village 2,032 $104,500 $45,091
56 Old Sacramento 1,436 $218,967 $55,036
57 Mangan Park 1,282 $201,550 $44,536
58 Creekside 4,278 $142,020 $71,113
59 Norwood I-80 434 $132,600 $40,603
60 Gateway Center 2,004 $153,900 $58,582
61 Tahoe Park South 1,669 $225,033 $50,030
62 Poverty Ridge 1,662 $346,750 $50,354
63 Mansion Flats 1,640 $305,667 $39,181
64 Valley High-North Laguna 42,988 $190,876 $52,506
65 Tallac Village 2,058 $210,533 $44,926
66 Freeport Manor 1,117 $200,900 $47,598
67 Marshall School 1,789 $439,500 $39,124
68 Village 14 257 $383,800 $101,667
69 South Natomas 26,178 $190,531 $55,351
70 Brentwood 2,342 $186,900 $39,834
71 Colonial Village 3,286 $138,275 $46,160
72 Carelton Tract 1,402 $255,700 $40,253
73 Glenwood Meadows 3,707 $148,550 $52,486
74 Village 2 3,083 $152,750 $66,646
75 Northgate 3,726 $158,950 $53,106
76 Tahoe Park East 999 $223,650 $64,384
77 Hollywood Park 1,819 $271,800 $49,814
78 Gateway West 6,226 $273,200 $76,859
79 College Glen 6,580 $287,250 $69,089
80 Johnson Business Park 166 $292,100 $79,527
81 West Tahoe Park 2,171 $213,200 $37,321
82 Natomas Creek 2,512 $281,400 $83,958
83 Z'berg Park 1,444 $302,000 $51,118
84 Newton Booth 2,180 $364,450 $57,274
85 Tahoe Park 3,074 $235,580 $63,342
86 Medical Center 1,683 $280,750 $51,407
87 Boulevard Park 2,773 $478,825 $45,688
88 Valleyview Acres 177 $383,800 $101,667
89 Colonial Manor 4,295 $163,167 $51,015
90 Downtown 5,111 $290,400 $36,805
91 Sierra Oaks 1,929 $334,000 $67,327
92 South East 5,004 $166,400 $43,022
93 Village 11 5,194 $289,950 $85,226
94 Village 7 4,113 $327,567 $89,277
95 Land Park 8,312 $456,717 $88,895
96 Village 12 3,293 $312,260 $85,987
97 Little Pocket 1,136 $396,100 $61,875
98 Curtis Park 5,168 $426,425 $78,658
99 New Era Park 2,075 $348,500 $56,568
100 Greenhaven 8,820 $304,529 $61,923
101 Scc 349 $350,000 $68,250
102 South Land Park 13,331 $335,655 $65,685
103 Natomas Park 7,990 $285,950 $91,312
104 Elmhurst 1,680 $332,100 $74,005
105 Willowcreek 4,404 $303,200 $70,602
106 Westlake 1,289 $432,900 $103,309
107 East Sacramento 19,319 $442,192 $92,923
108 Village 9 5,170 $329,467 $80,029
109 Pocket 25,569 $370,425 $82,751
110 River Park 3,282 $433,267 $100,793

Editor's Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don't freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Sacramento.

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.